Device in Paintball Gun for Rendering Rifling Effect on Paintball

ABSTRACT

A device in a paintball gun includes a main body extended longitudinally and along a first axial line and including a plurality of air passages and an air channel. The plurality of air passages are circumferentially disposed and each are extended obliquely and have a first end defining an opening on an outer periphery of the main body and a second end extended to the air channel. Air flowing in the paintball gun is directed through the plurality of air passages into the device, and vortices are generated in the air channel to impart a spin to the paintball being launched.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device in a paintball gun and, particularly to a device in a paintball gun for rendering a rifling effect on a paintball.

2. Description of the Related Art

TW Patent No. M273,709 shows a percussion mechanism of a paintball gun. The paintball gun includes a shell, and the shell has a handle. A bolt and a firing control mechanism are disposed within the shell. The bolt includes a first and second annular channel. Further, a trigger is mounted on the shell. A user can operate the trigger to control the firing control mechanism. The shell also has a chamber and an air tank disposed therein. The chamber has an end connected with a barrel and includes the bolt slidably mounted therein. The first annular channel and an interior peripheral wall of the chamber form a first space. The second annular channel and the interior peripheral wall of the chamber form a second space. A plurality of seals are disposed between an exterior peripheral wall of the bolt and the interior peripheral wall of the chamber for preventing air leakage. The bolt includes an air passage. The air passage has a first end defining an opening at an end of the bolt and a second end extended to the first annular channel and in fluid communication with the first space. The air tank is circumferentially disposed outside an outer periphery of the chamber. A first and second orifice fluidly communicates with the chamber and the gas tank. Air can flow into the chamber through a hole. The bolt is reciprocally movable to a position in which the first space corresponds to the first orifice and the hole, and to a position in which the second space corresponds to second orifice and the hole. In use of this paintball gun, air enters the air passage and fires a paintball from the paintball gun.

It is noted that the barrel has a smooth periphery, so the paintball is not liable to break during its travel inside the barrel. However, the paintball is liable to have an unstable projectile and break easily.

The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a device in a paintball gun for rendering a rifling effect on a paintball includes a main body extended longitudinally and along a first axial line and including a plurality of air passages and an air channel. The plurality of air passages are circumferentially disposed and each are extended obliquely and have a first end defining an opening on an outer periphery of the main body and a second end extended to the air channel. Air flowing in the paintball gun is directed through the plurality of air passages into the device, and vortices are generated in the air channel to impart a spin to the paintball being launched.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device in a paintball gun for rendering rifling effect.

Other objects, advantages, and new features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanied drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device in a paintball gun for rendering a rifling effect on a paintball in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the device of FIG .1 inducing air, with the air flow shown in phantom.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the device of FIG. 1 in a paintball gun.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the paintball gun of FIG. 6 in operation, with air indicated by arrows.

FIG. 8 is a continued cross-sectional view showing air flowing in the device of FIG. 1 imparting a spin to a paintball launched from the paintball gun.

FIG. 9 is a continued cross-sectional view of FIG. 8 showing air flowing in the device of FIG. 1 rendering a rifling effect on the paintball launched from the paintball gun.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a device in a paintball gun for rendering a rifling effect on a paintball in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the device of FIG. 10 inducing air, with the air flow shown in phantom.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 through 9 show a device 10 in a paintball gun 20 for rendering a rifling effect on a paintball 50 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

The paintball gun 20 has a trigger 21 and includes a loader 30 in which the paintballs 50 is loaded. The paintball gun 20 includes an air inlet 40, and air flows into the paintball gun 20 through the air inlet 40.

The device 10 includes a main body extended longitudinally and along a first axial line S1 and including a plurality of air passages 12 and an air channel 13. The plurality of air passages 12 are circumferentially disposed and each is extended obliquely and have a first end 121 defining an opening on an outer periphery of the main body and a second end 122 extended to the air channel 13. Air flowing in the paintball gun 20 is directed through the plurality of air passages 12 into the device 10, and vortices are generated in the air channel 13 to impart a spin to the paintball 50 being launched. The plurality of air passages 12 are also extended convergently towards the air channel 13.

The paintball gun 20 includes a chamber receiving the main body of the device 10, and a space for receiving air flowing in the paintball gun 20 is delimited by an outer periphery of the receiving section 11 of the main body and an inner periphery of the chamber. The device 10 is movable in the paintball gun 20.

An air passage 12 has the first and second ends 121 and 122 opposite to each other. The device 10 includes a plurality of air passages 12. A first axial line S1 is extended along a longitudinal length of the device 10. A second axial line S2 is extended from the first end 121 to the second end 122 of the air passage 12. A phantom line L is extended from the first end 121 of the air passage 12 to the first axial line S1. The first axial line Si that extends along the longitudinal length of the device 10 and the second axial line S2 that extends from the first end 121 to the second end 122 of the air passage 12 include a first included angle θ1. The first included angle θ1 is greater than 0 and less than 90 degrees. The phantom line L that extends from the first end 121 of the air passage 12 to the first axial line S1 and the first axial line S1 that extends along the longitudinal length of the device 10 include a second included angle θ2. The second included angle θ2 is greater than 0 and less than 30 degrees. The second included angle θ2 is 10 degrees here. Each of the air passage 12 has a depth H and a diameter D. The ratio of the depth H to the diameter D is in the range of 0.5 to 3. Each of the plurality air passages 12 extends in a straight line. The number of the plurality of air passages 12 is in the range of 6 to 12. The number of the plurality of air passages 12 is 10.

The main body of the device 10 includes the longitudinal length defining first, second, third, and fourth extents 14, 15, 16, and 17 disposed sequentially. The first, second, third, and fourth extents 14, 15, 16, and 17 of the main body respectively have first, second, third, and fourth outer diameters ψ1, ψ2, ψ3, and ψ4. The first extent 14 of the main body has a smaller outer diameter than the third extent 16. The second extent 15 disposed between the first and third extents 14 and 16 has a smaller outer diameter than the first and third extents 14 and 16, and defines the receiving section 11 for receiving air. The third extent 16 of the main body has a smaller outer diameter than the fourth extent 17. Each of the plurality air passages 12 is extended from the third extent 16 to the fourth extent 17. The air channel 13 is extended longitudinally in and through a distal end of the fourth extent 17. The outer periphery of the main body between the second and third extents 15 and 16 is oblique and delimits a sloped surface 161 in cross section. Air can exerts forces on the sloped surface 161.

In use of the paintball gun 20, a user operates the trigger 21 to launch the paintball 50 loaded in the loader 30.

FIGS. 10 through 12 show a device 10 a in a paintball gun for rendering a rifling effect on a paintball in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, and same numbers are used to correlate similar components of the first embodiment, but bearing a letter a. The device 10 a can be installed in the paintball gun 20. The device 10 a includes a plurality of air passages 12 a. Each of the plurality of air passages 12 a extends obliquely with respect to a first axial line S3, which extents along a longitudinal length of the device 10 a. Each of the plurality of air passages 12 a has a first end 121 a and a second end 122 a opposite to the first end 121 a, and a second axial line S4 is extended from the first end 121 to the second end 122 of the air passage 12. The device 10 a is the same as the device 10 except that the first axial line S3 that extends along the longitudinal length of the device 10 and the second axial line S2 that extends from the first end 121 to the second end 122 of the air passage 12 include a first included angle θ3, which is different from the first included angle θ1. The first included angle θ3 is greater than 0 and less than 90 degrees. A phantom line L1 that extends from the first end 121 of the air passage 12 to the first axial line S3 and the first axial line S3 that extends along the longitudinal length of the device 10 a include a second included angle θ4, which is different from the second included angle θ3. The second included angle θ4 is 20 degrees here.

In view of the forgoing, the devices 10 and 10 a can render a rifling effect on the paintball 50 because air can impart a spin to the paintball 50, thereby enabling the paintball 50 to fly in a stable projectile. The first axial lines S1 and S3 that extends along the longitudinal length of the devices 10 and 10 a and the second axial lines S2 and S4 that extend from the first ends 121 and 121 a to the second ends 122 and 122 a of the air passages 12 and 12 a include a first included angles θ1 and θ3, so the air passages 12 and 12 a are extended obliquely, and air is directed into the devices 10 and 10 a through the air passages 12 and 12 a quickly and vortices are generated in the air channels 13 and 13 a to impart a spin to the paintball 50 being launched. Vortices in the vortical flow cause the paintball 50 to be launched from the paintball gun 20 and enable it to have a stable projectile.

While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of invention, and the scope of invention is only limited by the scope of accompanying claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device in a paintball gun for rendering a rifling effect on a paintball, comprising: a main body extended longitudinally and along a first axial line and including a plurality of air passages and an air channel, with the plurality of air passages circumferentially disposed and each extended obliquely and having a first end defining an opening on an outer periphery of the main body and a second end extended to the air channel, and wherein air flowing in the paintball gun is directed through the plurality of air passages into the device, and vortices are generated in the air channel to impart a spin to the paintball being launched.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of air passages is extended along a second axial line, and the first and second axial lines are angled with each other and include a first included angle, which is greater than 0 and less than 90 degrees, wherein a phantom line is extended from the first end of each of the plurality of air passages to the first axial line, and the phantom line and the first axial line are angled with each other and include a second included angle, which is greater than 0 and less than 30 degrees.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body includes a longitudinal length defining first, second, third, and fourth extents disposed sequentially, and the second extent disposed between the first and third extents has a smaller outer diameter than the first and third extents, and defines a receiving section for receiving air.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first extent of the main body has a smaller outer diameter than the third extent.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the third extent of the main body has a smaller outer diameter than the fourth extent.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer periphery of the main body between the second and third extents is oblique and delimits a sloped surface in cross section.
 7. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the air channel is extended longitudinally in and through a distal end of the fourth extent.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of air passages is in the range of 6 to
 12. 9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the number of the plurality of air passages is
 10. 10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second included angle is 10 degrees.
 11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second included angle is 20 degrees.
 12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of air passages are extended convergently towards the air channel
 13. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the third extent of the main body has a smaller outer diameter than the fourth extent.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main body includes a longitudinal length defining first, second, third, and fourth extents disposed sequentially, and the second extent disposed between the first and third extents has a smaller outer diameter than the first and third extents, and defines a receiving section for receiving air.
 15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of air passages are extended convergently towards the air channel.
 16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first extent of the main body has a smaller outer diameter than the third extent.
 17. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the third extent of the main body has a smaller outer diameter than the fourth extent.
 18. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the outer periphery of the main body between the second and third extents is oblique and delimits a sloped surface in cross section.
 19. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the air channel is extended longitudinally in and through a distal end of the fourth extent.
 20. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the number of the plurality of air passages is in the range of 6 to
 12. 